


Summers' Lease

by Maia



Series: Gifts [5]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Dream Sequence, Future Fic, Gen, Post-Chosen, Post-Series, Screenplay/Script Format
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-10-18
Updated: 2007-11-14
Packaged: 2017-10-04 10:36:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maia/pseuds/Maia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Part I: Buffy dreams<br/>Part II: Buffy and Dawn talk</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The quote from Charlotte's Web by E.B. White is from Chapter XV, "The Crickets."

**Summers' Lease**  
Part 1

 

INT – A LAWYER'S OFFICE - DAY

 

_Giles is dressed in a business suit, sitting behind the desk, obviously a lawyer. Buffy stands in front of his desk. Lawyer-Giles straightens his tie, looks down at the papers on his desk, then looks up at Buffy._

 

LAYWER-GILES  
You do understand, Ms. Summers, that as a lawyer I find this agreement to be questionable at best?

 

BUFFY  
But I want this house so much.

 

LAWYER-GILES   
_(raises an eyebrow)_  
A few years ago you were arguing in court that you had never agreed to the third lease and therefore should not be legally bound by it.

 

BUFFY  
I know, I know. But...I want to live here again.

 

LAWYER-GILES  
And you promise to vacate the premises promptly when the term is up?

 

BUFFY  
Yes.

 

LAWYER-GILES  
_(sighs)_  
Very well, Ms. Summers. Sign on the dotted line.

 

_ **DISSOLVES TO:** _

 

INT – THE LIVING ROOM OF BUFFY'S CHILDHOOD HOME IN LOS ANGELES

 

_It is a year or two after the flashback scene we saw in "The Weight of the World." It is a few days before Christmas. Child-Buffy, about 6 or 7 years old, is the only person in the room. There is a large, decorated Christmas tree with presents piled beneath it. One of the gifts is unusually large. It is wrapped in Christmas paper that has Santa Claus on his sleigh with his reindeer flying around the world.   
Child-Buffy approaches it as though she thinks it is magical. She reaches out and touches it tentatively, with longing. _

 

**DISSOLVES TO:**

 

The same room on Christmas morning. Younger-Joyce, Younger-Hank, Child-Buffy, and Toddler-Dawn are unwrapping the presents. At last all the gifts except the large one are unwrapped. Child-Buffy closes her eyes with excitement, waiting for the box to be handed to her. But instead, Younger-Joyce comes over to her, puts her arm around her, and says:

 

YOUNGER JOYCE  
_(gently)_  
I'm sorry, Buffy. That one isn't for you, it's for Dawn. You understand, don't you sweetheart?

 

** _DISSOLVES TO:_ **

 

The same room later that day. Toddler-Dawn is rolling a giant stuffed globe around the floor and laughing merrily, as Child-Buffy watches in silence.

Child-Buffy stands up, and as she does so, she morphs into her young adult self while the room shrinks around her. She hits her head on the ceiling.

Buffy turns to Joyce, who is now smaller than she is, and says:

 

BUFFY  
I know, Mom. It's not for me. I'm the grown-up.

 

_Buffy reaches down, picks up the torn Santa Claus paper off the floor, crumples it up, and throws it in the trash._

 

**DISSOLVES TO:**

 

INT – A HOSPITAL

 

_Buffy lies on a bed, apparently donating blood. Blood flows from her arm through a tube into one bag after another after another. Whistler, dressed as a doctor, keeps on changing the bags, collecting more and more blood. Buffy's blood spatters on   
Whistler's hospital scrubs. Giles sits by Buffy's bed, holding her hand._

 

BUFFY  
Haven't I given enough already?

 

GILES  
I'm sorry, Buffy  
_(he weeps)_

 

_From the neck down, Buffy's body becomes a skeleton on the bed. She looks down at her body, then up at Whistler._

 

BUFFY  
But I've been stripped to the bone.

 

WHISTLER  
Sorry, kid. You have to give the marrow up, too.

 

** _DISSOLVES TO:_ **

 

INT – THE MANSION IN SUNNYDALE

 

_Angel, Drusilla, and Spike watch as Buffy hurries about, rummaging through drawers, looking for something._

 

BUFFY  
I know it's here somewhere.

 

ANGEL  
Are you sure you left it here?

 

BUFFY  
I – I think so. But maybe – maybe it was in the gym. Or maybe it was in the pool...

 

DRUSILLA  
_(chants in a sing-song voice)_  
Fire and water, fire and water, burned and drowned, burned and drowned.

 

SPIKE  
Don't forget stabbed through the heart.

 

DRUSILLA  
What are you looking for dearie?

 

SPIKE  
You know perfectly well what she's looking for.

 

DRUSILLA  
Ring around the rosy, pocket full of posy, ashes, ashes, we all fall down.

 

_Drusilla dances in a circle, then collapses to the floor, laughing. She looks up at Buffy._

 

DRUSILLA  
Maybe it's after you. Maybe it's chasing you. Maybe it will sneak up on you.

 

_Drusilla gets up onto all fours and begins to crawl around, imitating a kitten's playful stalking._

 

DRUSILLA  
You left it behind, abandoned it, walked away –

 

SPIKE  
_(interrupting)_  
She had no choice.

 

DRUSILLA  
No choice, no choice, no choice at all. She left it behind and then when she thought it was gone forever -

 

_Drusilla pounces on an invisible ball, and laughs again._

 

_ **DISSOLVES TO:** _

 

EXT – THE ALLEY BEHIND THE BRONZE - NIGHT

 

_Spike kneels before Buffy as he did in the "you're beneath me" scene in "Fool for Love."_

 

SPIKE  
What are you afraid of, Slayer?

 

BUFFY  
What if the time comes when I **should** want it again—and I don't?

 

SPIKE  
_(There's something ancient in his gaze)_  
Fire or fire, love. Fire or fire.

 

** _DISSOLVES TO:_ **

 

EXT - THE DESERT - NIGHT

 

_Buffy, Faith, and the First Slayer sit around the fire._

 

FAITH  
Are we more than just a sacrifice?

 

BUFFY  
It's what a Slayer is.

 

THE FIRST SLAYER  
It is.

 

FAITH  
Sucks.

 

BUFFY  
_(shrugs)_

 

FAITH  
You fight for the world, B., but you never fight for yourself.

 

BUFFY  
_(shrugs again)_

 

** _DISSOLVES TO:_ **

 

INT – BUFFY'S BEDROOM IN SUNNYDALE - DAY

 

_Buffy and Dawn sit on the bed. Dawn holds a digital clock in her hands. It reads 7:30. _

 

DAWN  
Buffy, I know you bought it for me. It's the best present anyone ever gave me. But...  
_(She pauses)_  
You know I can't keep it, right?

 

BUFFY  
But I want you to have it.

 

DAWN  
It's only a loan. It's not really mine. I have to give it back. I'm sorry, Buffy.

 

** _DISSOLVES TO:_ **

 

INT – THE LIVING ROOM OF BUFFY'S HOUSE IN SUNNYDALE

 

_Buffy, Dawn, and Glory sit around the coffee table, playing a card game. The cards are Tarot cards. _

 

GLORY  
You're cheating, you know. You both are.

 

_Spike walks into the room, sits down on the couch._

 

SPIKE  
I'm in.

 

GLORY  
Are you going to cheat too?

 

_Spike morphs into William, who then morphs from a young man into an old man._

 

OLD-WILLIAM  
_(looks at Glory thoughtfully, then says very quietly)_  
No. I'm not.

 

** _DISSOLVES TO:_ **

 

INT – THE STAIRWELL OF BUFFY'S HOUSE IN SUNNYDALE

 

_Buffy walks down the stairs. William is waiting for her at the bottom. William has the present wrapped in Santa Claus paper. He holds it out to Buffy._

 

WILLIAM  
It's for you.

 

_Buffy reaches the bottom of the stairs. William hands the present to her. She unwraps it carefully, not tearing or crumpling the paper. She lifts the giant globe out of the box._

 

BUFFY  
But it's only for a little while, isn't it?

 

WILLIAM  
_(closes his eyes as though in pain, and nods)_  
Yes. It's only for a little while.

 

** _DISSOLVES TO:_ **

 

INT – THE LIVING ROOM OF BUFFY'S CHILDHOOD HOME IN LOS ANGELES

 

_We see both Buffy and William as children - both about 6 or 7 years old. They are curled up on either side of Younger Joyce on the couch, as she reads aloud from Charlotte's Web._

 

YOUNGER JOYCE  
**The crickets sang in the grasses. They sang the song of summer's ending, a sad, monotonous song. "Summer is over and gone," they sang. "Over and gone, over and gone. Summer is dying, dying."**

The crickets felt it was their duty to warn everyone that summertime cannot last forever. Even on the most beautiful days in the whole year—the days when summer is changing into fall—the crickets spread the rumor of sadness and change.

 

_Child-William starts to cry. Child-Buffy laughs and hands him a tissue._

 

CHILD-BUFFY  
_(to Child-William)_  
Don't worry, silly. Only one summer has to die.

 

_WILLIAM morphs from a child into a man. Tears stream down his face. _

 

WILLIAM  
No, Buffy. Don't you see? They all do.

 

_ **FADE TO BLACK** _

 

 

 

*


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -In the Gifts-verse, Angel sacrificed his unlife to save the world in 2005. Buffy was with him when he died/dusted.
> 
> -In this chapter, when Dawn says "I'm your daughter," it's because she understands that Buffy feels as though Dawn is her daughter as well as her sister. (Buffy specifically says that in the [original shooting script of the episode "The Gift."](http://www.unreliablenarrator.net/buffyverse/buffy_shooting_scripts/5x22.htm))

**Summers' Lease**  
Part 2

 

**Friday, September 19, 2008**

 

INT – THE GUEST ROOM IN WILLIAM'S APARTMENT - DAY

 

_It's early morning, just after sunrise. Buffy awakens very suddenly. She turns on the light and looks at the clock. It's 7 a.m. She gets up and goes into the kitchen._

 

INT – THE KITCHEN OF WILLIAM'S APARTMENT - DAY

 

_When Buffy comes in, she finds Dawn sitting at the kitchen table, drinking coffee. _

 

BUFFY  
What are you doing up?

 

DAWN  
I just got home.

 

BUFFY  
It's 7 in the morning!

 

DAWN  
_(a bit grandly) _  
I was on assignment.

 

BUFFY  
All night?!?

 

DAWN  
Well, after the rally, Jason and I went to this all-night diner to get coffee, and then, you know, we got to talking, and they just kept on re-filling our coffee cups, and well, next thing I know, it was getting light out.  
_(she blushes a little and grins)_  
I don't know how it happened.

 

BUFFY  
_(looks at her knowingly)_  
Weren't you out with Jason on Wednesday night, too?

 

DAWN  
We were covering the MTA union meeting.

 

BUFFY  
Uh-huh.

 

DAWN  
We're just friends!

 

BUFFY  
Uh-huh.

 

DAWN  
We are!

 

BUFFY  
Uh-huh.

 

DAWN  
_(grins and blushes again)_  
Do you want some coffee?

 

BUFFY  
If you've been drinking coffee all night, haven't you had enough caffeine?

 

DAWN  
I have to write up my story now.

 

BUFFY  
You've been up all night!

 

DAWN  
Tomorrow's Saturday. I can sleep then.

 

BUFFY  
You're gonna get sick.

 

DAWN  
I'm in graduate school.

 

BUFFY  
So sleep is optional?

 

DAWN  
More like not an option. Do you want some coffee?

 

BUFFY  
Sure.

 

DAWN  
_(gets up, gets a mug, pours Buffy a cup of coffee, sits back down)_  
Besides, if we wait a couple hours William will get up and make us breakfast.

 

BUFFY  
Dawn! Does he make you breakfast every morning?

 

DAWN  
Oh, like you're going to do your fair share of the cooking when you're married to the God of the Kitchen.

 

BUFFY  
We're not talking about the "M" word yet.

 

DAWN  
_(challenging)_  
**"We're"** not? Or **you're** not?

 

BUFFY  
_(defensive)_  
We're still getting to know each other again.

 

DAWN  
_(backs off)_  
How is it being back here?

 

BUFFY  
It's – it's weird. I mean - I find out he's alive, I come to New York, we have three intense weeks together, then I have to go back to London and deal with work stuff, we're on different continents for two months, then I come back here and we're together again, and...I don't know...  
_(she trails off)_

 

DAWN  
It won't always be long-distance. Next year you'll be in New York too.

 

BUFFY  
True.

 

DAWN  
It's hard on William too.

 

BUFFY  
He doesn't let on.

 

DAWN  
He's a Victorian.

 

BUFFY  
Yeah. And I'm in the guest room.

 

DAWN  
You know you don't have an ice-cube's chance in hell before you're married, right?

 

BUFFY  
_(dryly)_  
I'm beginning to figure that out.  
_(pause)_  
He's so different.

 

DAWN  
He's completely different and completely the same at the same time.

 

BUFFY  
I think you know him better than I do.

 

DAWN  
That'll change. I'm his family. You, he's courting. It's a Victorian thing.

 

BUFFY  
You like living with him, don't you?

 

DAWN  
I love it.

 

BUFFY  
I'm glad.

 

DAWN  
Cut the martyr crap.

 

BUFFY  
Huh?

 

DAWN  
Nobody's shutting you out.

 

BUFFY  
I know. I just...

 

DAWN  
Buffy...

 

BUFFY  
What?

 

DAWN  
Do you wish it was Angel?

 

BUFFY  
_(startled)_  
What?

 

DAWN  
_(trying not to sound accusing)_  
Do you wish it was Angel who was alive?

 

BUFFY  
No.   
_(long pause, then she says, to herself)_  
Angel wanted it.

 

DAWN  
_(confused)_  
What?

 

BUFFY  
Angel wanted to die.   
_(pause)_  
I saw it. In his eyes. He was so...happy.

 

DAWN  
_(softly)_  
Like you.

 

BUFFY  
Yeah.  
_(long pause)_  
Wishing him alive again seems...wrong.

 

DAWN  
Do you wish it anyway?

 

BUFFY  
_(slowly, thinking out loud)_  
N – no. Not now. I did. At first. When he was first gone.   
_(pause)_  
No. Not even then.   
I – he was so happy. The look on his face. Before he dusted.   
It was so...complete. Just the two of us. It was so...perfect.

 

DAWN  
_(quietly)_  
He was perfectly happy?

 

BUFFY  
Yeah. For one perfect moment. And then...he was gone.   
_(Very long pause. Then she shakes herself and comes back to the present)_  
No. I don't wish it.

 

DAWN  
Do you think he'd have been happy if he were human?

 

BUFFY  
_(snorts)_  
No. He'd have hated it. We'd both have been miserable.   
_(pause)_  
It's better this way.

 

DAWN  
But you miss him.

 

BUFFY  
Of course I miss him. I'll always miss him.   
_(pause)_  
But...

 

DAWN  
But what?

 

BUFFY  
I don't know if I ever really knew him.

 

DAWN  
Can anyone ever really know anybody?

 

BUFFY  
When did you turn into a philosopher?

 

DAWN  
Comes with being billions of years old and all.

 

BUFFY  
Have you told Jason?

 

DAWN  
No. Not yet.

 

BUFFY  
Are you worried that since he's a Watcher and all, if you tell him he'll be falling in love with the whole idea of the Key, and not with you?

 

DAWN  
Bulls-eye.  
_(pause)_  
Except...

 

BUFFY  
Except what?

 

DAWN  
The Key's part of me. If he doesn't know about it, he doesn't really know me, does he?

 

BUFFY  
You're what matters, not the Key.

 

DAWN  
But, Buffy...the Key is who I am. Just like you're the Slayer. You can't separate it out.

 

BUFFY  
No, you can't.

 

_From the open window comes the sound of a cricket chirping._

 

DAWN  
There must be a cricket on the window ledge.

 

BUFFY  
Monday is the first day of fall.  
_(pause)_  
End of summer.  
_(pause)_  
Do you think about the Key a lot?

 

DAWN  
Yeah. I do. I sometimes wonder...

 

BUFFY  
Wonder what?

 

DAWN  
_(knows she's headed into dangerous territory)_  
If I'm supposed to be here.

 

BUFFY  
_(sharply)_  
What do you mean?

 

DAWN  
I don't know. The monks wouldn't have made me human if they hadn't been desperate. And also...I mean...  
_(she stops, knowing how Buffy will react if she even suggests that she should have been the one to close Glory's portal)_

 

BUFFY  
Don't go there.

 

DAWN  
Okay. But I do wonder.

 

BUFFY  
**I'm** the one who's not supposed to be here.

 

DAWN  
Is that why you can't be happy?

 

BUFFY  
_(defensive)_  
What do you mean?

 

DAWN  
William's alive and madly in love with you and you're in love with him. But you keep on talking about how weird and confusing it is.

 

BUFFY  
It **is** weird and confusing.

 

DAWN  
Why?!

 

BUFFY  
I guess...there's so much that I hadn't thought about in so long. So much that didn't seem possible.

 

DAWN  
You'd kind of given up on being happy.

 

BUFFY  
_(even more defensive)_  
That's **not** true. I haven't been unhappy in a long time.

 

DAWN  
Not being miserable isn't the same as being happy.

 

BUFFY  
There's been great times in the past few years. Willow and Rebecca's wedding, and Xander and Zoe's wedding, and your graduation, and...

 

DAWN  
Those are all about other people.

 

BUFFY  
You being happy makes me happy.

 

DAWN  
_(impatient)_  
Yeah, yeah, I know, I know, I'm your daughter. It's not the same.

 

BUFFY  
_(pause)_  
I...I wanted another chance with Spike. But then, when Angel...

 

DAWN  
You thought that the only thing that's really possible is one perfect moment? You didn't have it with Spike because he didn't believe you. You had it with Angel. You thought you couldn't hope for anything more?

 

BUFFY  
_(softly)_  
Yeah.

 

DAWN  
William loves being alive. He loves being human.

 

BUFFY  
I know. That's one of the things I love most about him.

 

DAWN  
It's not only about last perfect moments before death, you know.

 

BUFFY  
I know. I just...

 

DAWN  
You **have** another chance.

 

BUFFY  
I know.   
_(pause)_  
It's just...it's so good. It's all so good. And it scares me.

 

DAWN  
_(quietly)_  
Why?

 

BUFFY  
It seems so...ephemeral. Like if I'm not careful, it's all going to disappear.

 

DAWN  
"Seize the moment" used to be your philosophy.

 

BUFFY  
That was a long time ago.

 

DAWN  
Being a vampire seems like a lifetime ago to William, but he still loves you.

 

BUFFY  
I know.

 

_They sit in silence for a few minutes. The cricket chirps outside the window again._

 

DAWN  
Buffy...I'm glad the monks made me human. Even if – if I'm not supposed to be here.

 

BUFFY  
_(fiercely)_  
You **are** supposed to be here!

 

DAWN  
_(letting it go)_  
Maybe. But...even if...if it's ephemeral...I'm glad to be human.

 

_There's a long pause. The cricket chirps._

 

BUFFY  
_(very softly)_  
Me too.

 

** _FADE TO BLACK_ **

 

 

 

*


End file.
